Subject

Instrumental analysis
Surface chemistry
Advanced soil chemistry

Education

Ph.D. North Carolina State University, Soil Chemistry
M.S. National Taiwan University, Agricultural Chemistry
B.Sc . National Taiwan University, Agricultural Chemistry

Expertise

Soil chemistry, Soil biogeochemistry, Application of synchrotron-based techniques

Research Program

Prof. Liu's professional expertise is in the field of biogeochemistry, environmental soil chemistry, analyses of trace-level contaminants, and molecular speciation of elements. She has extensive experience in analytical methods involving chromatography and atomic spectrophotometry, particularly for trace-level heavy metal contamination in various matrices such as water, air, sediments and sludge, tissues, and plants. She has also worked in the field of synchrotron-based analysis including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, transmission X-ray microscopy, and X-ray diffraction for over 10 years. She has gained the synchrotron-related experience from the Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Agronne National Laboratory, and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States. Her work has significantly contributed to the development of the molecular mechanisms for biogeochemical cycling of elements. Her recent research topics include:

Future Work

Development of the biogeochemical cycling of selenium released from the fossil power plant by assessing the elemental speciation in air particulate, water, sediment, and biofilm.
Trace-level selenium analysis for contaminated water, sediment, and tissues of fish using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Honors and awards

.Beat paper award. The Chinese Society of Soil and Fertilizer Sciences (2014)

.Outstanding Research Award in Phys./Chem. Science. The 20th Users' Meeting & Workshops. National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center. Hsinchu, Taiwan (2014)

.Fellowship to attend the 8th AOFSRR Cheiron School in Japan (2014)

.First Place Molecular Poster Presentation. Women in Science and Engineering Symposium. Duke University (2012)

.Wilford Gardner IUSS Congress Fellowship funded by National Science Foundation (2010)

.Graduate Student Award, American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry (2010)

.Professional Development Award, The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University (2007)

Symposium

.Sung, J.C., J.C. Hsu, Y.M. Tzou, C.F. Chang, and Y.T. Liu*. Structural changes of Fe hydroxides as affected by coprecipitation with natural organic matter. The 20th Users' Meeting & Workshops. National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center. Hsinchu, Taiwan, Sep. 2014. (Outstanding research award in phys./chem. science)
.Liu, Y.T.*, W.H. Liao, L.C. Hsu, Y.M. Tzou, and C.F Chang. Phosphorus transport from agricultural soils to coastal wetlands. The 4th Sustainable Phosphorus Summit. Montpellier, France, Sep. 2014.
.Hsu, L.C., Y.M. Tzou, Y.T. Liu*, and C.F. Chang. Spectroscopic and chemical speciation of chromium in contaminated paddy soils. World Congress of Soil Science. Jeju, Korea, Jun. 2014.
.Arnold, M.C., T. Lindberg, Y.T. Liu, L.A. Friedrich, V.P. Palace, H. Hsu-Kim, D.E. Hinton, and R.T. Di Giulio. Trophic transfer and bioaccumulation of selenium through a food chain in the mountaintop removal coal mining-impacted Mud River, WV. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America 34th Annual Meeting. Nashville, TN, Dec. 2013.
.Diringer, S., Y.T. Liu, and H. Hsu-Kim. Selenium transformations in mountaintop mining impacted streams: mechanisms and kinetics. Women in Science and Engineering Symposium. Durham, NC, Dec. 2012.
.Liu, Y.T., W.G. Mackebee, and H. Hsu-Kim. Speciation and release of selenium in coal ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority Kinston Fossil Plant. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. Charlotte, NC, Nov. 2012.
.Liu, Y.T., Y.T. Chen, W.G. Mackebee, L. Ruhl, and H. Hsu-Kim. Speciation and release of selenium in coal ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority Kinston Fossil Plant. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN, Oct. 2011.
.Liu, Y.T., and D. Hesterberg. Phosphate dissolution caused by bioreduction of poorly crystalline Al(III)/Fe(III) hydroxide coprecipiteted minerals. The 19th World Congress of Soil Science, Brisbane, Australia, Aug. 2010.
.Liu, Y.T., and D. Hesterberg. Adsorbed phosphate distribution on poorly-crystalline Al(III)/Fe(III) hydroxide coprecipitated minerals. Soil Science Society of North Carolina Meeting, Raleigh, NC, Jan. 2010.
.Liu, Y.T.. Bioreduction of poorly crystalline Al(III)-Fe(III)-Hydroxide coprecipitates and reductive phosphate dissolution as affected by organic matter. Soil Science seminar. North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC. Mar. 2009.
.Liu, Y.T., and D.L. Hesterberg. Phosphate dissolution caused by Fe bioredution as affected by Al proportion. Soil Science Society of North Carolina Annual Meeting. Raleigh, NC. Jan. 2009.
.Liu, Y.T., and D.L. Hesterberg. Effect of organic matter on reductive phosphate dissolution from poorly-crystalline Fe/Al-hydroxide coprecipitates. Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting. Houston, TX. Oct. 2008.
.Liu, Y.T., and D.L. Hesterberg. Arsenate sorption on Fe(III) in soil organic matter. Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. Nov. 2007.
.Liu, Y.T., and D.L. Hesterberg. Arsenate sorption mechanisms in soil organic matter. Soil Science Society of North Carolina Annual Meeting. Raleigh, NC. Jan. 2007.
.Liu, Y.T., M.K. Wang, and P.M. Huang. Sorption of arsenate on lithium/aluminum layered double hydroxide intercalated by chloride: macroscopic and spectroscopic studies. The 18th World Congress of Soil Science, Philadelphia, USA, Jul. 2006.

Publications

.Lin, K.Y., Y.T. Liu, S.Y. Chen. Adsorption of fluoride to UiO-66-NH2 in water: stability, kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic studies. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. In press (SCI, IF: 3.368, 42/139 in Chemistry, Physical)

.Chen, T.Y., H.D. Li, G. W. Lee, P.C. Huang, P.W. Yang, Y.T. Liu, Y.F. Liao, H.T. Jeng, D.S. Lin, and T.L. Lin. 2015. Gold atomic clusters extracting the valence electrons to shield the carbon monoxide passivation on near monolayers core-shell nanocatalysts in methanol oxidation reactions. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 17:15131-15139 (SCI, IF: 4.493, 19/252 in Physics and Astronomy, Miscellaneous)

.Hsu, L.C., Y.T. Liu*, and Y.M. Tzou*. 2015. Comparison of the spectroscopic speciation and chemical fractional of chromium in contaminated paddy soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 296:230-238. (SCI, IF: 4.331, 2/124 in Engineering, Civil)

.Chen, T.Y., G.W. Lee, Y.T. Liu, Y.F. Liao, C.C. Huang, D.S. Lin, and T.L. Lin. 2015. Heterojunction confinement on atomic structure evolution of near monolayer core-shell nanocatalysts in redox reactions of direct methanol fuel cell. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 3:1518-1529. (SCI, IF: 6.626, 22/251 in Materials science, Multidisciplinary)

.Liu, Y. T. 2014. Unlock phosphorus from soils based on molecular level mechanisms. In the special issue of "25 visions for sustainable phosphorus tomorrow" published by European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform. 106:25-26.

.Huang, P.C., H.S. Chen, Y.T. Liu, I.L. Chen, S.Y. Huang, H.M. Nguyen, K.W. Wang, C.C. Hu, and T.Y. Chen. 2014. Oxidation triggered atomic restructures enhancing the electrooxidation activities of carbon supported platinum-ruthenium catalysts. CrystEngComm. 16:10066-10079. (SCI, IF: 3.858, 4/23 in Crystallography)

.Arnold, M.C., T. T. Lindberg, Y.T. Liu, K.A. Porter, H. Hsu-Kim, D.E. Hinton, and R.T. Di Giulio. 2014. Bioaccumulation and speciation of selenium in fish and insects collected from a mountaintop removal coal mining-impacted stream in West Virginia. Ecotoxicology. 23:929-938. (SCI, IF: 2.500, 71/216 in Environmental Sciences)

.Chin, C.J., T.Y. Chen, M.S. Lee, C.F. Chang, Y.T. Liu, and Y.T. Kuo. 2014. Effective anodic oxidation of naproxen by platinum nanoparticles coated FTO glass. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 227:110-119. (SCI, IF: 4.331, 2/124 in Engineering, Civil)

.Wang, J.J. Y.T. Liu, I.L. Chen, Y.W. Yang, T.K. Yeh, C.H. Lee, C.C. Hu, T.C. Wen, T.Y. Chen, and T.L. Lin. 2014. Near-monolayer platinum shell on core-shell nanocatalysts for high-performance direct methanol fuel cell. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 118:2253-2262. (SCI, IF: 4.835, 29/251 in Materials science, Multidisciplinary)

.Liu, Y.T., T.Y. Chen, W.G. Mackebee, L. Ruhl, A. Vengosh, and H. Hsu-Kim. 2013. Selenium speciation in coal ash spilled at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston site. Environmental Science & Technology. 47:14001-14009. (SCI, IF: 5.481, 8/216 in Environmental Sciences)

.Wu, C.Y., Y.T. Liu, P.C. Huang, T.J. M. Luo, C.H. Lee, Y.W. Yang, T.C. Wen, T.Y. Chen, and T.L. Lin. 2013. Heterogeneous junction engineering on core-shell nanocatalysts boosts the dye-sensitized solar cell. Nanoscale. 5: 9181–9192. (SCI, IF: 6.739, 20/251 in Materials science, Multidisciplinary)

.J.M. Conley, D.H. Funk, D. Hesterberg, L.C. Hsu, J. Kan, Y.T. Liu, and D.B. Buchwalter. 2013. Bioconcentration and biotransformation of SeO3 versus SeO4 exposed periphyton and subsequent toxicity to the mayfly Centroptilum triangulifer. Environmental Science & Technology. 47:7965-7973. (SCI, IF: 5.481, 8/216 in Environmental Sciences)

.Chen, T.Y., Y.T. Liu, H.S. Chen, K.W. Wang, C.T. Yang, T.J.M. Luo, C.H. Lee, and T.L. Lin. 2013. Crystal growth of platinum-ruthenium bimetallic nanocrystallite and their methanol electrooxidation activity. CrystEngComm. 15:3932-3942. (SCI, IF: 3.858, 4/23 in Crystallography)

.Chen, T.Y., Y.T. Liu, H.M. Nguyen, L.J. Fan, C.Y. Wu, T.J.M. Luo, C.H. Lee, Y.W. Yang, T.C. Wen, and T.L. Lin. 2013. Ruthenium core-activated platinum monolayer shell high redox activity cathodic electrocatalysts for dye-sensitized solar cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 1:5660-5669. (SCI, IF: 6.626, 22/251 in Materials science, Multidisciplinary)

.Chen, T.Y., I.L. Chen, Y.T. Liu, T.L. Lin, P.W. Yang, C.Y. Wu, C.C. Hu, T.J.M. Luo, and C.H. Lee. 2013. Core-dependent growth of platinum shell nanocrystals and their electrochemical characteristics for fuel cells. CrystEngComm. 15:982-994. (Equal contribution as the 2nd author) (SCI, IF: 3.858, 4/23 in Crystallography)

.Liu, Y.T., and D. Hesterberg. 2011. Phosphate bonding on noncrystalline Al/Fe-hydroxide coprecipitates. Environmental Science & Technology. 45:6283-6289. (SCI, IF: 5.481, 8/215 in Environmental Sciences)
Kizewski, F., Y.T. Liu, A. Morris, and D. Hesterberg. 2011. Spectroscopic approaches for phosphorus speciation in soils and other environmental systems. Journal of Environmental Quality. 40:751-766. (SCI, IF: 2.345, 76/215 in Environmental Sciences)

.Liu, Y.T., T.Y. Chen, M.K. Wang, P.M. Huang, P.N. Chiang, and J.F. Lee. 2010. Mechanistic study of arsenate sorption on lithium/aluminum layered double hydroxide. Applied Clay Science. 48:485-491. (SCI, IF: 2.703, 6/27 in Mineralogy)

.Liu, Y.T., M.K. Wang, T.Y. Chen, P.N. Chiang, P.M. Huang, and J.F. Lee. 2006. Arsenate sorption on lithium/aluminum layered double hydroxide intercalated by chloride and on gibbsite: sorption isotherms, envelopes, and spectroscopic studies. Environmental Science & Technology. 40:7784-7789. (SCI, IF: 5.481, 8/215 in Environmental Sciences)